Joe Tomane is all smiles after training at Brumbies Headquarters in Canberra. Source: The Daily Telegraph

JOE Tomane can see exactly where he's gone wrong in life.

The clutch of stars behind his ear are less visible, but they represent where Tomane knows he got it right.

On a body with its fair share of ink, there tucked away on the youngster's neck is a tattooed reminder of the driving force in his life and footy career. A cheeky three-year-old named Starsha.

"She's everything," Tomane says.

"She has definitely helped me mature a lot. I went from thinking about myself all the time to thinking about my daughter as well, and knowing that a lot of the stuff that I do affects her, good or bad.

"Her growing up is something I cherish because without her I definitely wouldn't be where I am. I definitely wouldn't have grown up as much as I have."

But growing up - and fast - has been a necessity for the Brumbies winger, who had an adult life thrust on his shoulders at the tender age of 18.

Then, when most of us make our mistakes in safe anonymity, Tomane was not only in the process of becoming the next big thing in Australian footy, he was a new father as well.

It sounds fraught with difficulty, and it was. Tomane admits he took many wrong turns and is only now understanding them all.

But to understand how Joe Tomane is now sitting in Canberra, with a wise old head on still-young shoulders, you have to rewind to the start when he had it all.

Too much, even.

Born in Wellington with Kiwi and Samoan heritage, Tomane grew up in Australia and was a schoolboy rugby sensation alongside James O'Connor at Nudgee College in Brisbane.

"He was always my first-choice ball runner," O'Connor recalls. "If something needed to be done, I'd chuck a cheeky cut-out and we'd at least make 20 metres, if not score a try.

"He is a big dude who is very physical, but he's also got lightning pace and good feet.

"We would often be out there on the field a good hour after training, practising steps and moves."

O'Connor would become a star soon after, and so would Tomane - but in a different code. After a tug-of-war over the then 17-year-old between the ARU and the NRL powerhouse Melbourne Storm, Tomane chose league.

Suddenly he counted Greg Inglis and Billy Slater as teammates, and early form in 2008 had his name in the paper as "the next Israel Folau". In an early game on the wing, the man-boy scored three tries and kicked six goals against the Broncos.

It's right about here where the first wheel fell off, admits Tomane. Among a club of established superstars, Tomane thought he was one too and acted like it. Extra training Joe? No need, mate.

"I kind of just thought things would happen for me," Tomane says.

"It was a dream come true but being young I honestly didn't take my opportunities there, as much as I should have. I had a chance to learn off some of the best players in the code but I was a young kid, and I was probably a little more arrogant. Everything was happening so fast I didn't know how to take it."

The next wheel wobbled at the same time, ironically with the arrival of the best thing in his life: baby Starsha.

The joy was double-edged. Stuck in Melbourne and without the time or money, Tomane rarely saw his daughter, who lives with his partner Anna and her parents in Brisbane. "I never got to spend much time with her," Tomane says.

His mind wandered further from football and to Storm club mates, Tomane came across as a kid with attitude who didn't want to be there. They weren't far wrong.

Midway through 2009 and after 18 games for Melbourne, Tomane joined the Gold Coast Titans to be closer to Starsha.

The Titans promised the best of both worlds, but Tomane candidly admits he again stuffed it up. Royally.

"It was my fault really, they gave me an amazing opportunity but I let myself go really," Tomane says.

"I put on a stack of weight and I just got comfortable. I was thinking things were going to happen and I didn't take control of my own destiny."

After initially impressing in 2010 - Tomane still holds the Titans record for most tackle busts in a game (14) - poor fitness led to injury.

When 2011 rolled around, his domain was more often Queensland Cup park footy.. It was a mighty fall.

"I didn't play well because my confidence levels were low," Tomane says.

Midway through last year Brumbies' assistant coach Stephen Larkham knocked on his door with a third chance.

Offered a return to the code he first loved, Tomane jumped at the chance to rediscover his mojo and moved to Canberra. Alone. "It is still tough, but the best thing was I got to build a tighter relationship with Starsha and it's good she knows who I am, where I am at and what I am doing now."

For himself and his little girl, what Tomane is doing now is finally fulfilling potential. No stuff-ups.

Under a training regimen built by respected trainer Dean Benton, he is down from 107kg to a lean 101kg but as far as opponents are concerned, he may as well be 150kg.

Playing on the wing for the Brumbies, Tomane is a tackle-breaking machine with strength and speed. He made his Super Rugby debut just nine games ago but has impressed so much Tomane is being talked about as a Wallaby bolter when the squad is named next week.

"I am feeling more and more confident each week with my role in the game, and the best thing is I still have a lot to learn," he says.

News.com.au's Privacy Policy includes important information about our collection, use and disclosure of your personal information (including to provide you with targeted content and advertising based on your online activities). It explains that if you do not provide us with information we have requested from you, we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. It also explains how you can access or seek correction of your personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles and how we will deal with a complaint of that nature.

A NOTE ABOUT RELEVANT ADVERTISING: We collect information about the content (including ads) you use across this site and use it to make both advertising and content more relevant to you on our network and other sites.